Louis van Gaal will persist with Wayne Rooney in midfield for Man Utd

Manchester United manager concedes Rooney is "maybe the best striker" at United but argued that he needed him to fulfil another role.

Midfield maestro? Wayne Rooney will continue to be played in midfield for Manchester United, suggests Louis van Gaal

Louis van Gaal has admitted that he would play Wayne Rooney as a striker if he were the England manager – but suggested that, for Manchester United, he would persist with him in midfield.

The United manager responded to Roy Hodgson's comments that the England captain would remain as a striker for his country by saying: "I would also put him there if I was coach of the English team."

Van Gaal conceded that Rooney, 29, was "maybe the best striker" at United but argued that he needed him to fulfil another role. "I have explained already a lot of times that it is not because anyone is not a good player in my selection but you have to compare," he said. "And I have to like what is the biggest contribution where a player can play, and other players also. It is the composition of the team and the composition is more important than the individual player, I’m sorry for that."

"In the composition of Mr Hodgson, Rooney is probably giving more contribution to the English team when he is playing in the striker's position."

"He [Hodgson] has to compare also Wayne Rooney with the strikers he can put in the line-up. That's another consideration you have to make. I have to choose between [Radamel] Falcao, [Robin] Van Persie and all the other strikers I have, then it is my consideration and a different one. But he [Hodgson] has answered the same way I do now."

Hodgson has maintained that Rooney is "a goal-scorer" and he wants to see him "in positions where he can get into the box" although he also added that he accepted United may want to use the player differently. "But, at the moment, I don't necessarily think that will be the best position for us and I don't have any immediate plans to play him there [in midfield]," he said.

As you were: Rooney will stay in midfield for United

The irony is that England – with the emergence of Harry Kane and Danny Ings, and Daniel Sturridge's recovery from injury – probably have even more options than United in attack at present although both sides are suffering from a lack of strength in central midfield.

Rooney, who is yet to have a shot on target this year, is expected to captain United in tomorrow's FA Cup tie at Preston North End, with Van Gaal defending the contribution of Falcao amid the ongoing debate as to whether the club should sign the on-loan striker permanently despite the Colombian scoring only four goals this season. "I shall not judge only the goals," Van Gaal said. "It is a bigger view than that."

The manager is also likely to continue with David De Gea in goal against Preston rather than give Victor Valdes the opportunity to make his first-team debut. "He is playing in the second team [under-21s]," Van Gaal said of the former Barcelona goalkeeper. "When you are out for more than one year, then first of all you have to show yourself at a lower level. Like Ashley Young is doing that, like Michael Carrick has to do that. It is always the same so I think it's normal."